White Birdcage
by KuroiWinter
Summary: If he'd known what was going to happen, he would've told the person who mattered the most to him . . . that he loved her.


Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of the characters or settings which Tite Kubo created.

Warning: not a happy story . . . really, it isn't.

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><p><em>White Birdcage<em>

Standing in his Inner World, the place where everything seemed tilted, Kurosaki Ichigo stared at his Inner Hollow with mild distaste and distrust. He didn't know why he was there, he'd been pulled in as soon as he'd gotten back to Urahara Shoten, just after regaining his powers as a shinigami. He hadn't been to know that his Hollow would be restored as well.

'What's going on?' deciding to ask since he wasn't coming to any conclusions on his own, Ichigo spoke, 'Why am I here?' as the words left his mouth, he realised a few more interesting and mildly bewildering details.

One: they were both in Bankai. Two: he was holding his black version of Tensa Zangetsu. Three: his Hollow was smirking so faintly that it was almost impossible to see.

'What's going on?' the slightly watery, metallic voice of the Hollow sounded, and he shifted slightly, still seated on the ground, or the wall, whichever was your perspective, 'What's going on? That's all you're gonna say after we aven't seen each other for so long, eh partner?'

Ichigo wasn't liking the slight mocking tone he thought he could detect, and he scowled slightly, 'What are you saying? Surely you didn't just call me here to say hello,'

'I'm sayin' this,' twirling his white Zangetsu around his hand, above his head, the Hollow smirked properly, 'I've finally waited long enough, King. It's time for a reversal of roles,'

The words immediately made Ichigo tense and begin wondering just when the Hollow was going to attack, 'You can't defeat me, you've already tried, remember,'

It was less of a question than a statement. And it was true, because he'd already defeated his Hollow and gained the ability to use his power. The mask . . . he didn't even know if he could still pull on that mask and utilise the enhanced abilities of the Hollow. After all, he'd lost all of those abilities for a while, so would they just return to where they'd been before now that he'd got his power back?

'You've got somethin' wrong, King,' gold irises seemed to glint in the pleasant, sunny light, and black sclera certainly flashed dangerously, 'Where d'ya think I've been all this time?'

'Where?' the question was one which Ichigo didn't know the answer to, although he strongly suspected that he was about to find out, 'What are you talking about?'

'I'm tryin' to say that you're a fool,' the Hollow stopped swinging his katana about and rested the blade on his shoulder instead, 'You think I just vanished into thin air while you moped around, powerless?'

Sensing the slightest change in the reiatsu of his Hollow, as well as the movement of muscles beneath white shihakusho, Ichigo got ready to fight. It seemed like there was nothing the creature wouldn't do to try and unsettle him. After all, he knew it wanted control of his body.

'Don't get so tense, somethin' wrong, partner?' the Hollow seemed genuinely confused, lowering his Zangetsu to rest on the ground beside him, 'You don't wanna hear what I was gonna say?' Ichigo thought that his Hollow seemed to have changed slightly, 'I'm sad,'

The orange haired substitute shinigami let his frown show. He couldn't figure out what was different about the Hollow. Was it a slight change in the way he spoke? The way he held himself? The way he stared back with unblinking eyes? What was it . . .

'Now you look confused,' shifting his grip on Zangetsu's hilt, the white skinned creature smiled rather manically, 'I'll simplify everythin' for you, alright partner?'

In the one second moment of silence that followed, two seemingly casual things occurred. One: Hollow Ichigo moved his hand. Two: a pale Zangetsu pierced Ichigo's chest, the blade coming to a stop hilt deep, shooting from his back in a burst of white.

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><p>Ichigo couldn't move. He could feel something wet on his front and, looking down, it was only then that he realised just where the Hollow's zanpakuto had disappeared to. All of a sudden, the teenager could feel the katana lodging inside one of his lungs, each breath becoming agony. Hollow Ichigo stood up slowly.<p>

'See, Ichigo?' appearing directly before him, posture relaxed, face mildly concerned and horribly mocking, the Hollow grinned faintly, 'I've had a long time to train for this moment,' placing a white hand on his katana's hilt, he twisted it slightly, sadistically watching in glee as Ichigo's breath stopped all together, 'You didn't think I'd always stay here, did you?' releasing the blade, he turned and took a few steps away from Ichigo, 'While you wandered about like a lost soul, I was always here. King, you've lost your throne,' stopped and half turning, he met Ichigo's stare, 'Your body and power is mine, do you get it?'

'What?' although speaking was torture, Ichigo forced the word from his throat, trying to ignore the taste of his own blood.

'Don't worry,' still smiling, the creature waved his hands nonchalantly, 'I'm not going to actually kill you, yet, although, considering I just beat you, I would still live on,' he gave an odd laugh, 'I want to keep you alive just a while longer,'

'Why?' only managing a single word at a time, the shinigami had the terrible feeling that he knew what the Hollow was going to say. He realised that he really had been beaten, and he hadn't even raised his blade. What had happened to cause such a gap in their powers? Why was this happening?

He recalled the elation he'd felt having his shinigami powers restored, the absolute, quiet joy of knowing he'd be able to protect the people who were important to him again. And now? The Hollow which had for so long lived in his conscience, was free.

'There are a couple of things I really don't want you to miss,' shrugging, the creature walked back over and wrenched Zangetsu free from Ichigo's body, 'So I'm gonna let you live for a bit more,'

As he spoke, white cloth-like ribbons shot from the ground and created what appeared to be a bird cage, around Ichigo's torn form. The blue sky darkened to grey, and the buildings they stood on bled of all colour, turning a harsh, bone white.

Hollow Ichigo sat down, speaking as he rested his chin on his hands, 'Let's see, I've been checkin' some of your memories lately, and I came up with some great plans. I thought that, after I defeated you, maybe we should go to that orange haired girl's place and kill her. I was thinking it might be best just to cut her head off, stop all of her whining, eh?' not waiting for a response, and guessing that Ichigo was either in too much pain or shock to respond anyway, he continued, 'Then we'd go see the stuck-up guy with the glasses. Last time I think we stabbed him in the guts,' he chuckled darkly, 'So how about this time we aim for the chest and get it over with faster,' sighing as if thinking was tiresome, the Hollow kept on talking, 'And the big guy. I'd say we cut his precious trinket into pieces and then let him have a breakdown before killin' him too. So, whaddaya say, partner?'

Ichigo couldn't comprehend what he was hearing. Still standing, inside his white barred cage, with blood slowly seeping through his shihakusho, he was trying to understand what was going on. The Hollow . . . was he threatening his friends? Some kind of realisation dawned in Ichigo's head. The creature normally kept under control was free to do whatever he wanted. And with _his _body too. The Hollow was going to kill his friends because he had control of his body now. Would they be able to sense the difference?

'Don't worry,' shaking his head, the Hollow laughed, 'If you're doubting whether or not we can do all that, you shouldn't be. We're way stronger than any of those weaklings,' noticing suddenly that Ichigo hadn't made any comments yet, the Hollow frowned, 'Hey, aren't you worried for them?'

When there was no response, the Hollow just sighed with unusual sentiment, 'I exist to take over your power and body, and kill everything and anything I see. Starting off with your closest friends would only be the start. Would you respond if I said your family would be next?' he was kind of disappointed that he was getting only silent glares, 'Oh! I've got it,' getting up, he sauntered over to peer through the bars of Ichigo's cage, 'What about if we went and found that little shinigami?' brown eyes widened slightly, 'And we ripped open her chest, and tore out her heart,'

'You-,' swinging his own Zangetsu with as much force as his shocked body could gather, Ichigo almost screamed when all his blade met was the white ribbons of his 'cage'. He couldn't do anything about what was going to happen.

_Rukia . . . everyone . . . I'm sorry. There's so many things I wish I'd said to you all. Rukia . . . I should've told you I love you . . ._

Laughing psychotically, Hollow Ichigo began fading right before his former King's eyes, 'I'll let you see through _my _eyes when I kill her, promise. Then once everyone you love is dead, I'll come back to finish you off before I begin my solo war against the world. So just stay in your bird cage til the executioner comes home, and enjoy the show. I can't wait to hear you sing,'

The sounds of manic, sadistically elated laughter continued to echo through the bleak landscape of Hollow Ichigo's Inner World, even once the newly crowned King had vanished.

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><p>Lying in one of the recovery rooms in Urahara Shoten, underneath Inoue Orihime's Soten Kisshun, yellow eyes flicked open. Black faded from sclera, skin took on a normal hue, reiatsu lost its gritty feel.<p>

'Thanks for helping me hide my reiatsu,' peering down at the sleeping, auburn haired teenager, Hollow Ichigo spoke in his watery voice, 'Wouldn't have wanted the guy with the hat to have sensed the change. Ah,' he sighed, raising Tensa Zangetsu, 'It feels good to have real control over this body. At last,' he knew it was the perfect cover, remaining looking like Ichigo until he decided that it didn't matter if the people he killed saw his true appearance, 'I'm . . . gonna have some fun,'

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><p>When Rukia pulled open the door to the room where Ichigo had been recovering, she saw the teenager in Bankai, standing over what appeared to be the sleeping Orihime. It was only after her eyes adjusted to the dark in the room, that she realised that the girl's body was covered in blood, and she was emitting no reiatsu. Her chest was unmoving, and there were still tears in her vacant eyes.<p>

Looking up at Ichigo in horror, as the petite shinigami took shaking steps away from him, she thought she heard someone say her name, very distantly, followed by the most heartbreaking, 'I'm so sorry', that she'd ever heard.

Or ever would hear.

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><p>Author's Note:<p>

A sad idea that I got last night, sorry to all characters involved . . . except maybe Hollow Ichigo who probably had the best time of his whole existence. I wonder sometimes what that Inner Hollow would do if he ever managed to win in a fight against Ichigo. It's a rather depressing thought.

Anyway, this story is slightly AU, as, although it's after Ichigo got his powers back, they're the abilities he had before losing them. So, what I'm trying to say is that Zangetsu and his shihakusho would look like they had before he lost his powers. I don't think Xcution had anything to do with events prior to this story either . . .

And, as for the title, I couldn't think of anything, so that's just what it turned out to be . . .


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